# 119-hr-2091: Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act of 2025

119-hr-2091, Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1] (R-VA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2091
- As of: 2026-08-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-2091
- Congress: 119
- Title: Chesapeake Bay Conservation Acceleration Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-03-11
- Sponsor: Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1] (R-VA)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Environmental Protection
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-01

## Summary

**Chesapeake Bay States Partnership Initiative** creates targeted, funded conservation help for farms in the Bay watershed while the bill also moves oversight for two invasive catfish species to the Food and Drug Administration. - Farmers and producers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (six states and the District of Columbia) get prioritized, funding-driven enrollment in existing Farm Bill conservation programs to pay for erosion control, nutrient and sediment reduction, wetland conservation, and improvements in livestock and waste management. - Seafood businesses and federal agencies: primary inspection oversight for domestic and imported blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) and flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) moves from USDA to FDA, with a required interagency memorandum of understanding within 90 days and final implementing regulations within 180 days to avoid duplicate inspections. - A joint Task Force led by the Secretary of Agriculture and the EPA Administrator must develop an action plan to improve how nutrient reductions are analyzed and reported, protect producer privacy, and align federal actions with state Chesapeake Bay restoration strategies.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] (D-VA), 2025-03-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2] (R-VA), 2025-03-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3] (D-MD), 2025-03-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large] (D-DE), 2025-03-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2025-04-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6] (D-MD), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Bigger payments for farm conservation buffers: benefit, high. This bill would raise the annual CRP payment cap to $100,000, up from $50,000. It would set incentive payments at no less than 40% of actual costs when you update a CREP contract under the update option. More land could qualify for riparian buffers, including cropland, marginal pasture, and grassla…
- More Bay conservation help for farms: benefit, low. This bill would set up a Chesapeake Bay partnership to target funding and technical help to producers in the watershed. USDA would use existing plans and move quickly to fund projects that fit State strategies. It would coordinate with other agencies and the Farm Service Agency, including on CRP bu…
- Faster hiring for NRCS tech jobs: benefit, low. This bill would let USDA directly hire qualified NRCS technical staff without the usual competitive process (except sections 3303 and 3328). This could speed help for producers who need conservation planning and support.
- More paid agricultural learning at colleges: benefit, low. This bill would let community colleges and vocational schools compete for USDA teaching grants. It would back paid work-based learning in food and agricultural studies. It would authorize $60 million each year for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 for related grants and fellowships. Experienced staff…
- No-cost turnkey help for Bay buffers: mixed, medium. This bill would create a pilot in the Chesapeake Bay watershed for land in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. USDA would hire certified providers to plan, install, and manage forested stream buffers and related work. If you join, you would not pay those costs or file extra paperwork. You…
- New FDA oversight of invasive catfish: mixed, low. This bill would move inspection of wild-caught blue and flathead catfish invasive to the Chesapeake Bay from USDA to FDA. USDA and FDA would sign an agreement within 90 days and issue final rules within 180 days. The goal would be to avoid duplicate inspections while shifting labeling and safety ov…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-5401: Pay Our Troops Act of 2026
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hr-2048: Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act
- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-2091 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2091)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-5401: Pay Our Troops Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5401)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hr-2048: Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2048)
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2091 (as of 2026-08-01).